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Ex-councillor challenges Harris for Labour

A FORMER Castle Point Labour councillor has been chosen to challenge Tory MP Rebecca Harris at next year’s general election.

Joe Cooke, who represented St Georges Ward for a total of 11 years, will take on Mrs Harris, who was elected in 2010 with a majority of 7,632.

Mr Cooke, who moved to Thundersley in 1970, was a member of the first Castle Point Council after local government re-organisation.

He said: “I’m absolutely delighted the local Labour Party has chosen me to take the fight to the Tories in Castle Point.

“Rebecca Harris has voted for policies which have really hit local people hard and left residents here worse off.

“Only Labour can stand up for our community.

“Labour would protect our NHS from creeping privatisation, abolish the cruel and unjust bedroom tax, freeze energy bills until 2017 and guarantee a job for anyone in Castle Point who has been out of work for more than two years.

“If elected, I will be a strong voice for Castle Point and seek to undo the damage done by this Tory-led Government.”

Mr Cooke, a retired senior systems analyst, is also a governor of Southend Hospital and a trustee of Castle Point ý Challenger – Joe Cooke Citizens Advice Bureau.

Comments (6)

The plus is at least you are local so should understand the local problems and not bused in by the party as is the case with our current MP. The minus is just what have you done since loosing your council seat because I cannot recall a thing?
Just when will we get a candidate to stand for whatever party who has lived for years in the constituency, shown active involvement in the constituency before standing to represent the local electorate.

The plus is at least you are local so should understand the local problems and not bused in by the party as is the case with our current MP. The minus is just what have you done since loosing your council seat because I cannot recall a thing?
Just when will we get a candidate to stand for whatever party who has lived for years in the constituency, shown active involvement in the constituency before standing to represent the local electorate.John T Pharro

John T Pharro wrote:
The plus is at least you are local so should understand the local problems and not bused in by the party as is the case with our current MP. The minus is just what have you done since loosing your council seat because I cannot recall a thing?
Just when will we get a candidate to stand for whatever party who has lived for years in the constituency, shown active involvement in the constituency before standing to represent the local electorate.

And there is the weakness of our 'democracy'..you get to vote for who is picked for you to chose from..people whose foremost loyalty is to the party who picked them and not the constituent.

[quote][p][bold]John T Pharro[/bold] wrote:
The plus is at least you are local so should understand the local problems and not bused in by the party as is the case with our current MP. The minus is just what have you done since loosing your council seat because I cannot recall a thing?
Just when will we get a candidate to stand for whatever party who has lived for years in the constituency, shown active involvement in the constituency before standing to represent the local electorate.[/p][/quote]And there is the weakness of our 'democracy'..you get to vote for who is picked for you to chose from..people whose foremost loyalty is to the party who picked them and not the constituent.ThisYear

As someone who has been loyal to the Labour Party for a goodly number of years, I shuddered when I saw this name come up as someone who will stand against the current MP. I have to say now that I was loyal, no more. Not because this individual has decided to stand, and I wish he had not, but because, even a labour supporter can add up, and will know that when they left office and the coalition took over, the party had pretty much bankrupted this country. Left to people like this individual they will, mark my words, do it all over again. This individual, as someone above has picked up, has done absolutely nothing in the Borough for a large amount of years apart from losing every election he has stood for.
It hurts to say it, but I cannot believe that anyone in their right mind would vote again for a Labour Government knowing their history and electing such people as this individual, who will no doubt put us as a country back where were we were when the coalition took over. As for saying:- “If elected, I will be a strong voice for Castle Point and seek to undo the damage done by this Tory-led Government.”, how will he do that, he has done nothing for a number of years and for the local Labour Party to think that this individual can be their candidate and win, they must be just as deluded as is this individual, in his thinking that he can undo what has put this country back onto a even keel. Anyone who thinks they can do that is past their sell by date, as is this individual. Be warned.

As someone who has been loyal to the Labour Party for a goodly number of years, I shuddered when I saw this name come up as someone who will stand against the current MP. I have to say now that I was loyal, no more. Not because this individual has decided to stand, and I wish he had not, but because, even a labour supporter can add up, and will know that when they left office and the coalition took over, the party had pretty much bankrupted this country. Left to people like this individual they will, mark my words, do it all over again. This individual, as someone above has picked up, has done absolutely nothing in the Borough for a large amount of years apart from losing every election he has stood for.
It hurts to say it, but I cannot believe that anyone in their right mind would vote again for a Labour Government knowing their history and electing such people as this individual, who will no doubt put us as a country back where were we were when the coalition took over. As for saying:- “If elected, I will be a strong voice for Castle Point and seek to undo the damage done by this Tory-led Government.”, how will he do that, he has done nothing for a number of years and for the local Labour Party to think that this individual can be their candidate and win, they must be just as deluded as is this individual, in his thinking that he can undo what has put this country back onto a even keel. Anyone who thinks they can do that is past their sell by date, as is this individual. Be warned.Hugh.Janus

What about the damage done by the previous Labour lot!!!!!!!!........w
hen will people ever learn! Thanks to Mr Brown and his massive damage to the pension system.....i am living on benefits to top up my pension , so how sensible are they in government!!!!!!

What about the damage done by the previous Labour lot!!!!!!!!........w
hen will people ever learn! Thanks to Mr Brown and his massive damage to the pension system.....i am living on benefits to top up my pension , so how sensible are they in government!!!!!!johanuk